Sawback competition Crawling

[steamboatbob]

This is my sawback running in the 5th round of Western Australian RC Crawlers in Class 1, Rules in regards to this I wont go into, but it is not aimed at high performance rigs, more towards scale realism



this one is a montage of course 1 and 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qy93QPqZnLA

and this is a FPV using a gopro on the bonnet of my rig of course 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Se9w3IgB9Q

enjoy

[konasubs]

Thanks for sharing the links.....Nice job on both courses......My friends want me to trip up to AXIAL fest and compete in 2 weeks at CA/NV border.....Watching your video makes me want to take my SAWBACK up and compete in CLASS 1.....tx again

[steamboatbob]

i Just really enjoy this little rig easy to work on and really fun to drive

[konasubs]

I noticed in your video you are using red rc4wd SS springs...on my setup and scaling we do, they break constantly...Terran you guys are running iscway less aggressive than areas I am running.....testing my new crawlster steering system this weekend...

[steamboatbob]

i have bent the stock ones you get from gmade quite easily it all depends on the terrain of the day and how hard you drive it, I have run this in more aggressive terrain but i still have not snapped the red leafs, I also changed the stock dampers to axial shocks without any springs in them and use fairly heavy shock oil, this dosent allow for much flex but i find that this rig works best when there is little flex happening, as the stock dampers from gmade are little more than a bit of eye candy and dont do much in the way of damping, when i was running with more flex the car was alot more unstable on the course, straight out of the box though the leafs are a litlle to be desired getting the spacer kit is high on my recommendations for this kit as well as the crawlster steering kit.

This is my rig as i run it at the moment, the battery sits just in front of the gearbox and I am planning to shift the motor and gearbox up front and put in a transfer case shortly. also in regards to the red leaf springs you can see from this shot i also have up front the small leafs above and below the main leaf and in the rear i have the large ones doing the same thing this helps greatly in stopping the leafs from snapping.

if there is anything else you wish to know about it just ask and i can tell you or take more photos for you





when i first got the car this is how much flex i used to run and i ended up bending the stock leafs very quickly to the point of being almost useless, hence why i run the suspension as i do now but as i am still playing with this setup i am sure it will change in the near future

[konasubs]

I used to run the upper n lower smaller leafs....now that I installed a link system that's adjustable. I only run single stock in...pics are on G made page on another thread titled link system. I also did chino mod...can't do that on red SS springs.....they shatter when u grind. Like ur shock idea...I had set of King shocks I am currently tuning with....I have zero axle wrap w stock single leaf and links....believe me I hv tried to bend this set of springs. I hv to....trying to keep up with all my friends w scx10s....sawback definitely holds its own...tough lil rigs. Black body show some of our terrain and current blue body with minion Dave with beach theme and new Rock Beast tiresm...omg they rock!

[CrawlinMike]

I've done the same thing with adding them lower links. It fixed the wrapping. I need to chino mod the ends now. Sheesh couldn't of remembered that when it was already all apart!

[konasubs]

I am laughing ya brother....had mine down to frame at least a dozen times! Hard to stop tinkering. Lol....post pics of ur link system ...I would love to check it out! I am gonna switch front shackles for the hell of it....can only break....lil worried when something doesn't ...not that it's my goal. Seems to just happen....I love the wrenching as much as the driving....

[knightsy]

Hey Steamboatbob
I am assembling my Sawback as we speak. Can't wait for it to be finished. A couple of questions:
Where did you get the inner guards? I have been wondering how to hide some of the innards.
I am using Axial shocks also. I machined the thread off the cylinders to help appearance a bit. I am interested in your observations on flex. What weight shock oil have you used?

Trevor

[Jeepiac]

I'm with Stemboatbob on the flex. I reversed the shackles on the frontend of my Sawback and left the shocks off. Incredible amount of flex but on off camber crawling it'll roll down hill really easy. Luckily a set of shocks bolted back up to the front axle will limit the travel back to where it was. But getting the giant freaking shackles moved to the rear of the leaves made a hell of an improvement on approaching steep obstacles.

[steamboatbob]

ok questions and answers

Knightsy
- the inner guards are from a trailfinder you can get them from rc4wd and they are made of VERY thin lexan
- shock oil - ummmmm the first bottle I grabbed but I would say it is around 30-40wt oil
- flex is overrated yes you can make this rig flex but you will spend most of your time upside down if you do get stiffer dampers to achieve this


Konasubs
pics will be in my next post as photobucket is playing up for me right now
and also I run shooter shackles surprisingly these do work well
each to their own in regards to tyres personally im a fan of the flashpoints


oh and if you are wondering I placed 2nd overall with this rig at the competition and it was up against Vattera ascenders, TF2's, Scx10's and another sawback

[steamboatbob]

ok pics you want pics you shall receive

Front view



front links



rear links



Shock and steering setup

[konasubs]

So u ran crawlster link but still u ran 90 degree angle link from servo to end cap...interesting....I am Dave btw...I love that all of is hv same rig with loads of different ways to do things....congrats on 2nd place! Very cool....

[knightsy]

Originally Posted by konasubs

So u ran crawlster link but still u ran 90 degree angle link from servo to end cap...interesting....

I am guessing that would reduce bump steer a bit, good idea. And thanks for the info pics Steamboatbob.

[steamboatbob]

no problems guys bump steer is really not a problem with this rig as the suspension really dosent flex that much as you can see in the videos, the next upgrade im going from here is a stronger servo and then trying to mount the motor forward and run a transfer case just to get more weight up front.

[Corvinus]

What are those c-hubs?

Nevermind, found the option parts on junfac.

[steamboatbob]

Well a big update is kind of required since I was last in here,

I have gone the path of mounting the motor forward this was achieved by using a rc4wd r3 transmission and a 1:1 transfer case I got from ebay

now to fit the r3 I had a friend make me up some metal inner fenders that are inline with the outside of the front of the chassis and using 4mm spacers and the transmission mounting kit it sits very nicely I did this as I changed my suspension to spring under for competition points reasons but having spring under setup makes the transmission mount points above the chassis.

hence the thin metal inner fenders which I mount the transfer case to

the other thing I did to help with clearance was to flip the scalerfab transmission plate and cut it down so I could mount the transfer case on top of it very simply done with a dremel.

my only point of pain right now is the short driveshaft from the transfer case to the transmission, its very short and trying to fabricate one up was a complete pain in the arse and hopefully on the rocks tomorrow things go realy well

only thing to get things in your mind if you go down this path is that you will need different shocks I am waiting on some to get here but I have had to change to 70 mm scale shocks but I will be taking the spring out and modifying them to act as a damper.

anyhow enough talk here are the pics for what I have been babbling on about


as it stands right now



Obligatory flex shot



inner workings



upside down



transmission and crappy driveshaft



inner workings again



layout of transfer and what I cutout from scalerfab plate

[chopfather]

Nice work ! Good luck in the comp, hope to see pics or video.

[steamboatbob]

well had a bad day of competition

snapped the main driveshaft to the transfer case on a small test climb before I started competing, so it was a big fail day but a friend of mine is going to make up a replacement shaft for me so all is good.

[chopfather]

Any progress on the front motor and transfer case project ? I'm tempted to do this if I can find a cheap transfer case that will hold up .